Electric lift truck models make up almost 60 percent of the forklift market. These units are powered by heavy, big lead-acid batteries which which prevents the equipment from tipping over because it acts as the counterweight.
Based on ITA, electric counterbalanced forklifts are considered Class 1 lift trucks. Class 1 is the category that includes all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric forklifts. Though the initial investment when purchasing an electric lift truck is more than an internal combustion or IC forklift, electric lift trucks are much less costly to run and operate in the long-run. This is due to lesser maintenance and fuel costs, than the internal combustion or IC models.
Within North America, the majority of electric rider forklifts are designed for moving materials indoors. Electric rider forklifts are used most commonly in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric units are the best choice for inside use since they emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
In addition, electric lift truck could usually operate a complete 8 hour shift on one battery charge. Reloading, recharging and removing batteries, that roughly weigh about 3000 pounds can be time consuming and hard. This burdensome task usually requires a dedicated area for handling the battery. Then again, new fast charging technologies are now used to change the procedure and update this process to be able to complete it in a much faster method.
This fast charging technology is considered to be enhanced charging technology. It has changed electric unit lift trucks and the charging time of their batteries. The experts of the material handling business, state that these new developments in the battery charging systems and battery technology could lessen charging time by up to 50%!
IC or Internal Combustion Counterbalanced Forklifts
IC forklifts rely on a range of different kinds of fuels, such as LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The bigger forklifts are normally utilized outside. Normally, these units are diesel or gas powered and uses pneumatic or air-filled tires in order to make them appropriate for steep inclines and rough environment, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for indoor use and smooth services because they are made from solid rubber.
The most common fuel option for indoor trucks is LPG. There are more than 600,000 propane-filled forklifts nowadays that are operating within DCs and within warehouses. These units offer a huge range of benefits. For example, lift trucks that operate on propane fuel maintain 100% consistent power during operation. Additionally, these models offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.